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Cradled
in the twin montain ranges of nar and narayan is the holiest of
the four main shrines , badrinath along the lift bank of the river
alaknanda . With the backdrop, it is an important destination on
the sacred itinerary of every devout hindu . Once the spot was carpeted
with 'badris ' or wild berries and hence was famous as 'badri van
'
The revered shrine is still alive with myriad legends from mythology
. its sanctity is emphasised in the ancient scriptures as "there
are many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the heavens , earth and the
nether world ,but there has been none equal to badri , nor shall there
be " Legend has it when the ganga was requested to descend to
earth to help the suffering humanity ,
the earth was unable to withstand the force of its descent . therefore
the mighty ganga was split into twelve holy channesl . alanknanda
was one of lord vishnu or badrinath .
The temple of shri badrinathji on the bank of the alaknanda river
, dates back to the alaknanda river , dates back to the vedic times
, situated at an altitude of 3,133 mts . , the present temple is believed
to have been built by adi guru shankaracharya - an 8th century 's
philosopher -saint , who also established a math here . also known
as vishal badri , badrinath is one of the panch badris .
The temple remains closed duriing the winter season and is open from
april - may to octobr - november .
Genral Information : Area : 3 sq . km . Rainafall : 1460 mm Clothing : Till May -heavy woollens, June -Sept -light
woolens & Oct. -Nov . -heavy woollens Languages : Hindi, English and Garhwali.
How to get there: Airport : Jolly Grant, (317kms.) Railhead : Rishikesh, (300kms .) Kotdwar ,(327 kms.)
Road : Well connected to rishikesh , Haridwar , dehradun
, kotdwar And other hill stations of Garhwal and kumaon region .
Places of Interest :
Badrinath Temple : On
the right bank of alaknanda liesl the sacred spotl perched at an
altitude of 3,133 meters above the sea level. Encircled by a beautiful
valley, the 15 mts. high temple is dedicated to lord vishni. It
is built in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a ilt bull
and spire.
Built by adi guru shankaracharya the philosopher-saint of the 8th
centurty, the temple has been renovated several times due to damage
by avalanches. Its colourful 'singh dwara' or the mainentrance gate
give it a new, modern look.
The temple is divided into three parts the 'garbha griha' or sanctum
sanctorum, the' darshan mandap' where the rituals are conducted and
the 'sabha mandap' Where devotees assemble. The complex has 15 idols.
Specially attractive is the one metre high image of Badrinath, finely
sculpted in black stone. It represents lord Vishnu seated in a meditative
pose.
Tapt Kund :
Devotees take a holy dip in the natural thermal springs on the banks
of the river Alaknanda , before entering the Badrinath Temple. The
water of the Kund is believed to have medicinal properties.
Neelkanth :
A pyramidal-shaped snowy peak towering above Badrinath, Popularly
known as the `Garhwal Queen`.
Charanpaduka :
The footprints of Lord Vishnu can be seen on a boulder in this beautiful
meadow.
Brahma Kapil :
A flat platform on the bank of river Alaknanda where Hindus perform
Sheshnetra :
A boulder having an impression of the legendary serpant- known as
Sheshnag's eye.
Excursions :
Hemkund
Sahib (43 kms.)
Near the Valley of flowers is the holy lake Hemkund- an important
pilgrimage of theSikhs and Hindus. Along its shores is the sacred
Sikh shrine where Guru Gobind singh, the tenth Guru unified with god
after Prolonged meditation in his previous birth. Nearby is the Lakshman
Temple where Lakshman - the brother of Lord Rama performed his penance.
The reflection of surrounding snow- clad peaks in its placid waters
offers a scenic sight.
Mata Murti Temple (3 Kms.)
On the right bank of alaknana stands the temple dedicated to the mother
of sri Badrinathji.
Mana Village (4 Kms.)
Inhabited by Indo-Mangolian tribe, it is considered to be the last
indian village before Tibet. On this route, nearby are Vyas Gufa-the
rock cave of saint Ved Vyas, the writer of Mahabharata. Bhim Pul-
a natural bridge over the Saraswati river and Vasundhara Falls- a
122 mts. high waterfall - forming an important part of the pilgrimage
to Badrinath.
Alka Puri (15 kms.)
The source of alaknanda river from the glacier snouts of Bhagirath-kharak
and satopanth glaciers.
Satopanth (25 Kms.)
A three cornered lake with a circumference of about 1 km., is situated
at an elevation of 4,402 mts. above sea level. It is named after the
Hindu triad - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, who are blieved to occupy
one corner each of the lake. The trek is hazardous with dramatic lanscapes.
An experienced guide is advisable.
Govindghat (25 Kms.)
The confluence of alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers. It has an imposing
Gurudwara named after Guru Gobind singh.
Joshimath (44Kms.)
The winter home of Shri Badrinathji is situated on the slopes above
the confluence of alaknanda and dhauliganga. It is one of the four
'maths's established by adi guru shankaracharya.
Auli (57 Kms.)
An ideal shi resort in theGarhwal Himalayas with its slopes comparable
to the best in the world. Perched at an elevation of 2,500 mts, auli
not only offers a magnificent view of the Himalaya rqnges but is a
delight for winter sports enthusiasts.
Valley
of Flowers (42 kms.) An exotice valley in a conical shape
lies to the east of Badrinath with river pushpawati flowing through
it. The valley that is presently a national park, is 19 kms. trek
from govindghat. A must- see for all natural lovers.
Chamoli (10 Kms.)
From Gopeshwar to Badrinath highway is the tiny mountain retreat that
attracts visitors for its verdant landscap3s and fresh mountain air.
Srinagar (192 Kms.)
The old capital of Garhwal, it is an important cultural and educational
centre. Places to visit include Kamleshwar and Kilkileshwar temples
and the shankar math.
Cradled
in the twin montain ranges of nar and narayan is the holiest of
the four main shrines , badrinath along the lift bank of the river
alaknanda . With the backdrop, it is an important destination on
the sacred itinerary of every devout hindu . Once the spot was carpeted
with 'badris ' or wild berries and hence was famous as 'badri van
'
On
the right bank of alaknanda liesl the sacred spotl perched at an
altitude of 3,133 meters above the sea level. Encircled by a beautiful
valley, the 15 mts. high temple is dedicated to lord vishni. It
is built in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a ilt bull
and spire. 
Hemkund
Sahib (43 kms.) 
Valley
of Flowers (42 kms.) An exotice valley in a conical shape
lies to the east of Badrinath with river pushpawati flowing through
it. The valley that is presently a national park, is 19 kms. trek
from govindghat. A must- see for all natural lovers.
